Riccy Amador, ’22, named 2020 Newman Civic Fellow

Riccy Amador, ’22, a sociology major at Loyola University Maryland, was named a 2020 Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education. 

Amador, who lives in Baltimore, Md., is completing an internship focused on leadership and racial justice in Loyola’s Center for Community Service and Justice (CCSJ). She was nominated for her leadership role on campus, including her work volunteering for voter registration drives, leading neighborhood resident and student bridge-building days, and participating in an educational immersion in Apopka, Fla., to learn more about the lives and working conditions of migrant farm workers. Amador, who was born in San Lorenzo Valle, Honduras, came to the United States in 2006. When she isn’t studying full time and participating in a number of ways at Loyola, Amador also works part-time as a waitress four days a week in Parkville, Md. Amador is one 290 students named as Newman Civic Fellows for 2020.

“Everyone is equal, and this award gives me the opportunity to show that anything is possible with hard work and dedication,” she said. “I believe this opportunity will allow me to be more connected to individuals with the same drive for justice, develop my leadership skills, and prepare me for my future career."

Amador was nominated by Loyola’s president, Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J.

“Riccy is passionate about addressing social injustices in her community, particularly immigration and poverty,” said Fr. Linnane. “A Honduran immigrant to Baltimore City, Riccy is a model of civic leadership on our campus and in our Baltimore community. Motivated by her own experiences of discrimination, Riccy participated in racial justice training and leadership to inspire her campus peers to interrupt instances of interpersonal racism and work to address systemic inequities in policies such as immigration.”

About the Newman Civic Fellows Award:

The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program for students from Campus Compact member institutions. The students selected for the fellowship are leaders on their campuses who demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions for challenges facing communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides the students with a variety of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, fellows are invited to a national, in-person conference of Newman Civic Fellows and participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities. The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.